Charles Barkley is upset with TNT’s handling of NBA rights negotiations, and he’s not worried about being reprimanded by his bosses for publicly voicing his dissatisfaction.
With TNT’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery reportedly on the verge of losing its NBA broadcasting rights, the 61-year-old Hall of Famer has been on the offensive in multiple interviews, defending the behind-the-scenes staff of “Inside the NBA” and expressing his displeasure with WBD CEO David Zaslav saying TNT doesn’t need the NBA in 2022.
And Barkley, who has never shied away from voicing his opinions, has no plans to stop now.
“First of all, they wouldn’t call me,” Barkley said of his bosses. “SI Media with Jimmy Traina” podcast. “They know better.”
Barkley again criticized Zaslav, saying there was no romantic relationship between the two and that they only met for the second time at WBD’s recent upfronts, and he believes NBA commissioner Adam Silver did not take kindly to the executive’s comments.
“Secondly, he should never have said that, plain and simple,” Barkley continued. From SI.com“I think this is the third time we’ve been in negotiations, but we’ve always signed during the exclusivity period. It’s never been put up for bid. Adam is obviously upset. I think he’s angry. There’s something going on, to be honest with you, because if we had the rights to match, it would simply be, ‘Yeah, we match,’ or ‘We don’t match.’ That’s what makes us the most nervous.”
The 11-time All-Star also claims that broadcast executives have done a “really poor job” of keeping him and his colleagues informed of the status of negotiations.
“Just say something. We’re not talking about it,” Barkley said. “It’s not about me. It’s about the people who work there. These are people who are on edge. Just say something so they can breathe a little bit. I can’t imagine having a family and bills. And being realistic, I’m probably going to have to start looking for another job. I can’t wait a year to get fired.”
Barkley was recently interviewed by New York Times reporter Tania Ganguli, who said that Barkley insisted on speaking with her despite attempts by security and a publicist to stop him.
Kenny Smith was upset by this, saying Ganguly “should have cleared it through Turner” and “should have done it the right way”.
“Inside the NBA” host Ernie Johnson also “sternly criticized” Ganguly for attempting to give the interview without TNT’s permission, highlighting the tensions brewing behind the scenes as the company’s future with the NBA hangs in the balance.
Sports Business Journal recently reported that the NBA is set to formalize new rights deals with Disney, NBC and Amazon beginning with the 2025-26 season.
It is unclear whether TNT has attempted to match offers from any of these companies in an attempt to retain the rights package.
If the deal goes through, NBC would take over TNT’s “B” package for $2.6 billion per year, SBJ reports.
